By revealing all the chemical elements present in a painting, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping can identify the individual pigments used by the painter and their exact locations, including those beneath the surface. Please join us online for our exciting International Colour Day 2025 event at 7 pm to 9 pm AEDT on Friday March 21, to be held in conjunction with the AIC Study Group in Arts and Design (SGAD) as the first of their new series of online forums on art and design topics. Three painting conservators, Simon Ives (Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney), Marieke Gerken (Bruker Nano Analytics, Berlin) and Rika Pause (Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam) will speak on remarkable new insights provided by applying XRF and other non-invasive tools in the fields of painting analysis and painting conservation. The forum will be introduced by SGAD Chair Prof. Dr. Maria João Durão (University of Lisbon), and will conclude with a discussion of questions from the audience chaired by CSA Vice President and SGAD Co-chair Dr David Briggs.
In addition to our online International Colour Day event, our Western Australian Division is planning an in-person ICD celebration in Perth on March 22 and their Divisional AGM on March 29, both at the Grove library, Peppermint Grove. Enquiries are welcome at csa.nec.pres@gmail.com.
TALK 1: New light on the AGNSW portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici by Bronzino | by Simon Ives
Technical analysis of Bronzino's AGNSW portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici by the conservation lab of the Art Gallery of New South Wales has revealed more details of the mysterious underlying portrait first observed in an X-radiograph in the 1980s.
Since the 1980s, Bronzino’s paintings have been studied with technical imaging creating a greater understanding of the artist’s extraordinary tendency to directly re-work and radically modify his compositions. Art historian and dealer Robert Simon (discoverer of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi) studied the painting in depth as part of his defining attempt to establish the overall production sequence of the numerous portraits of Cosimo de’ Medici. It was through Simon’s research published in the Burlington Magazine in the 1980s that we knew about an obscured portrait image underneath the figure of Cosimo. Were the modifications revealed by an indistinct X-ray genuine pentimenti - ongoing changes of the composition as it evolved towards the final archetype? Was the hidden figure also Cosimo - or another identity entirely, and if so, who?
The greater clarity we sought came with the development of particle accelerators, synchrotron science and elemental mapping. By revealing all the elements present in pigments comprising the painting, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping can identify the individual pigments used by the artist and their exact locations, including those beneath the visible surface. By rendering the brushwork itself, stroke by stroke, beautifully detailed colourised maps show in exquisite detail the hand of the Italian mannerist master at work through the entirety of the process from genesis to completion.
Simon Ives graduated from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle with a BA in Fine Art (Painting) and an MA in Fine Art Conservation. He has an MA in Painting from COFA. He is also completing an MA in Fine Art Education. He has worked as a painting conservator at the Tate Gallery in London and the National Gallery in Canberra and is now at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Published in the Burlington Magazine as its cover story in January 2023, our article detailed the results of this project which will be presented here.
TALK 2: Glimpsing over the shoulder of artists – Mapping the chemistry of 14th to 17th century European paintings on the surface and below | by Mareike Gerken
Studying historical technologies—ranging from the pigments used to production processes and individual working habits—unlocks invaluable insights that deepen our understanding of the past. Cutting-edge imaging techniques, such as spatially resolved micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis (micro-XRF), now make it possible to map elemental distribution from surface to sub-surface layers. This not only allows for precise identification of pigments but also uncovers traces of their application, shedding light on artistic techniques like never before.
Thanks to open beam systems that enable in-situ analysis without any sample preparation, historical paintings can be examined and visualized non-invasively, eliminating the risk of mechanical stress or climate-induced damage. Additionally, scanning micro-XRF technology offers high spatial resolution and rapid analysis, making it ideal for studying a broad range of artworks. This capability provides a comprehensive view of art-technological trends and transformations over centuries, revealing invaluable insights into artistic evolution.
This presentation will showcase the results of an extensive examination campaign conducted at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt between 2019 and 2022. A total of 55 paintings from the museum’s collection, along with five from external collections, were analyzed using scanning micro-XRF. The ability to visualize elemental composition in both surface and sub-surface layers not only uncovered the creative processes behind each painting but also revealed broader shifts in European painting techniques from the 14th to 17th centuries. As the Renaissance emerged, traditional workshop practices gradually gave way to a more individualistic approach, marking a pivotal transformation in the history of art.
Mareike Gerken finished her master’s degree in conservation for paintings and polychrome sculptures in 2019 at the State Academy of Fine Art and Design in Stuttgart. From 2019-2022, she worked in a PhD project at the Städel Museum Frankfurt, before joining Bruker Nano Analytics as an Applications Scientist for Art & Archaeology in 2022.
TALK 3: Colourful Avantgarde – a non-invasive approach to the modern artist’s palette | by Rika Pause
Early synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) (late 19th - early 20th century) were popular because they provided the bright colors so sought after by the avantgarde painters of this period. Still, they were also infamous for their paint technical problems, particularly their poor light fastness and sensitivity to solvents. Today, conservators face challenges for preventive and remedial conservation of paintings that contain SOPs, and knowledge of their presence in the artwork is essential for the decision-making process.
Analysing SOPs in paintings poses challenges due to their small presence owed to their high tinting strength. Additionally, these pigments have a very small particle size and are usually part of a complex system of ingredients in tube paints. Therefore, the probability that the samples taken for destructive analsysis are not representative for the materials studied might be quite high. Non-invasive devices can help locating the use of SOPs by allowing for virtually limitless measurements.
In this study, handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify both inorganic pigments and synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) in a set of 70 paintings by various artists, created between 1908 and 1955. This selection included 17 paintings by members of the Dutch expressionist group De Ploeg, known for their bold use of color since their founding in 1918. Our analysis identified 21 different SOPs in De Ploeg's palette between 1923 and 1949. The study’s findings will be presented broadly, with a particular focus on pigment use within this artist group. Special attention will be given to the presence of specific SOPs and inorganic pigments that may give more information on De Ploeg's material choices.
Rika Pause earned her Master’s degree in Paintings Conservation from the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Stuttgart in 2018. She later obtained her PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 2024. She currently works as a paintings conservator at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam and as a heritage scientist at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.
Registration
Successful registrants will be notified by reply email and will be sent the Zoom link and instructions shortly before the event. To receive this email with the Zoom link, you must register by the deadline of midnight AEDT on Thursday March 20th, but please note that this event may be booked out in advance of that date. If you're unable to attend live, please do not register, as the recording of this webinar will be made permanently available to all on the CSA YouTube channel. Please direct all enquiries to csa.nsw.chair@gmail.com
We ask our members and friends to please pass on news of this major event to their contacts by sharing our Facebook/ Instagram/ LinkedIn posts or the following link: https://coloursociety.org.au/event-6094003. A pdf poster promoting the event can be downloaded here.
